Mansfield church talks to community

BY GLORIA LaBOUNTY / SUN CHRONICLE STAFFFriday, February 22, 2008 2:16 PM EST
MANSFIELDIn its efforts to bring ministry into the community, members of Faith Fellowship United Methodist Church are hearing from the people who best know the needs.
In two meetings this week with community leaders and human service providers, Pastor David Arruda and several members of the congregation heard a range of ideas on what the church can do for the residents of the area, including seniors, youths, and families struggling financially.
Arruda said he would next gather with church members to assess the suggestions and determine what they could undertake more immediately and as a long-term goal."Some things may start right away," Arruda told the gathering. "I may be calling you and asking for help."The dozen people who attended the morning session suggested several directions the church could take.Debra Surprenant, assistant director of the Mansfield Council on Aging, said one of the greatest needs in the community is transportation to medical appointments in Boston and Providence for both seniors and non-seniors.Currently, she said, there is very little being provided, and now the Greater Attleboro-Taunton Transit Authority is planning cutbacks in public bus route services, which will worsen the situation.Lack of transportation notedThe lack of transportation opportunities, Surprenant said, is "limiting people to medical care in this general vicinity" when more specialized care may be available elsewhere.Diane Griffin of Mansfield, a member of Faith Fellowship church, said more affordable after-school programs also are needed, especially for youngsters at the vulnerable ages of 9 to 15. She suggested setting up a program that would draw in retired members of the community who may be willing to volunteer their time and share their skills and expertise with youngsters.She called the older segment of the community "a wonderful resource" that should be tapped.Cindy Phillips, Mansfield's community social worker, said the area needs more shelters for the homeless and more help for people who are one step away from becoming homeless, as well as support for people who have become unemployed yet have families to support and mortgages to pay.Yet those in attendance acknowledged that various organizations may already be filling some of the community's needs being described.Surprenant suggested that before embarking on any projects, the church members do a needs assessment to determine what is already being offered in the community.Arruda said that was the intent, and the community meetings were a first step.The congregation is trying to reach out into the community as part of a new approach to ministry.After its membership dwindled to about 20 regular worshippers, the congregation faced a decision last year on closing, and decided instead to stay open, but make changes in its organization, worship and ministry.Arruda called it "serving Christ by serving the community."The congregation already supports the local food pantry and soup kitchen, and operates its own clothing ministry called "Clothes to Go."The congregation has made minor alterations to the church's interior, but the limited parking and lack of accessibility make the building no longer suitable for the ministry the members have in mind, and they are now looking for a new location.If they build a new church, it will not look like a traditional one, Arruda said, but instead will be one based on "less mortar and more mission."GLORIA LaBOUNTY can be reached at 508-236-0333 or at glabounty@thesunchronicle.com.

Struggling Mansfield church works to turn things around BY GLORIA LaBOUNTY / SUN CHRONICLE STAFF

Friday, February 15, 2008 3:48 PM EST
The Faith Fellowship Methodist Church in Mansfield. (Staff photo by MIKE GEORGE)MANSFIELD -- Less than a year ago, members of Faith Fellowship United Methodist Church faced a decision on closing or changing.They opted for change, and ever since have been moving through a transition that has transformed the way they worship and minister, and that has focused on looking outside the church instead of only within.They will take another step in that process next week with community meetings aimed at helping the congregation get more involved.On Tuesday, the congregation will host morning and evening gatherings at Jimmy's Pub Restaurant on North Main Street in Mansfield. About 200 invitations have been sent to community leaders, government officials and human service agencies in Mansfield and surrounding communities.Pastor David Arruda, who has been at the church since July, said the intent is to find out what needs are not being met in those towns, and what the church can do to help.

"It's an opportunity for the community to tell us what it needs, and an opportunity for us to tell the community that we are not the same as we were two years ago," Arruda said.He came to the Mansfield church as part of the "11th hour" church ministry he developed for the New England Conference of the United Methodist Church and first implemented at a church in Maine before coming to Mansfield.A licensed local pastor in the denomination, but not an ordained minister, Arruda's role is to guide churches through transition."My ministry is to turn churches around," he said.The North Main Street church, which used to be known as Mansfield United Methodist until a few years ago, has been plagued with the same problem of declining membership that is facing other churches in various mainline Protestant denominations.A contributing factor, Arruda said, is the emphasis that churches had been placing on organization and structure rather than on the ministry of Jesus, an emphasis that did not resonate with people who want to make a difference but do not have the time to get totally involved and attend a lot of meetings.A year ago, fewer than 20 people were participating in the Mansfield church, he said, but now about 50 people regularly attend worship.The turnaround resulted from some major changes in the church's organizational structure, interior layout, and worship style. The worship area was converted by removing several rows of back pews and installing round tables and chairs where people can sit with family and friends. The communion rail also was removed to open the space between the pulpit and the pews, and a large screen and projector were installed.Arruda's style matches the space. He wears no clerical robe and speaks not from the pulpit, but in the midst of people, conducting more of a discussion rather than offering a sermon. He encourages people to attend services comfortably dressed and tries to create a relaxed atmosphere.The only aspect of a church that should be sacred, he said, is Jesus Christ."The rest is up for grabs," he said, including the style of worship, the committees, the structure, and even the building.The church building itself has become optional. Members have authorized a search for a new location and the eventual sale of the building if another one is found that is more conducive to today's ministry. They are actively looking for either a new church or an existing one, and would like to remain in Mansfield, but would consider a neighboring town such as Foxboro.One of the reasons for renaming the church from Mansfield United Methodist to Faith Fellowship, he said, was to prepare it for a possible relocation that might take it to another community."Anything is possible," Arruda said. "Nothing is set in stone."The current church, which was built in 1878, has great character and lots of history, Arruda said, but no longer meets the needs of the congregation. Set close to the sidewalk and wedged between two other structures, the church is small, lacks parking, and cannot be made handicapped accessible because of the limited space on the property."We can keep it as a museum and not for ministry, or we can put ministry first and the museum second," Arruda said.They have opted for ministry, and for reaching out into the community. Members already sponsor a clothing center at the church, and participate in and support the local food pantry, Our Daily Bread, and the Tuesday evening Food 'n' Friends soup kitchen sponsored by the Attleboro Area Council of Churches and held at the nearby First Baptist Church.Now they are looking to get more involved, and will be looking to the community to show them the way."We will try to fulfill the needs," Arruda said. "We may not be able to meet every need, but if we meet one, we will be doing more than we are doing today."The meetings Tuesday will be held at 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. at the restaurant at 141 North Main St.For more information about Faith Fellowship United Methodist Church, call 508-339-6040.GLORIA LaBOUNTY can be reached at 508-236-0333 or at glabounty@thesunchronicle.com